Acquisitions

I thought it would be fun for me and informative for you to start a new feature on the site profiling recent acquisitions I have made for the collection. I am using the word “recent” rather loosely as I am going back in my records to acquisitions made during the last ~5 years. I plan on showing items that one probably won’t see often, but my picks will surely be eclectic. This is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of all acquisitions, but only pieces that I consider notable and/or fun. I will attempt to add to this aspect of my blog regularly, time permitting. **********************************************************************************

Of the at-least-six diecuts with transparencies that Beistle released during the late 1940s, this one is by far the most elusive. This JOL diecut measures ~8.75” high by 6” across. I like it much better than the rather dopey design of a JOL wearing a polka-dotted bow-tie and tiny cocked hat that you can see on page 155. Acquired in September 2015. RSIN: 1

This pulp JOL nut cup with a choirboy mouth is much harder to find than the one shown on page 294, lower left. It measures the same at ~2.5” high, but has a somewhat more sophisticated molding. I feel it was produced in the later 1950s. Acquired in September 2015. RSIN: 3

This may be the most graphically interesting boxed candle set made. The lid is a deep blue that is quite arresting. (Unfortunately, the color saturation doesn’t translate well with my camera!) The imagery is simple yet effective. The box holds twenty thin orange candles and measures ~4” square. The set was produced during the 1920s. Acquired in September 2015. RSIN: 2

This isn’t an earth-shattering item by any means, but I picked it up for nothing (literally nothing), intrigued by its miniature size. The ratchet measures only ~3” in diameter. Produced by Kirchhof during the 1930s, the witch face image is common, but is typically seen on 4” ratchets, so this iteration is unusual. It has a sculpted unpainted wood handle. Acquired in September 2015. RSIN: 2

This is a complete, mint set of mechanical nut cups produced by Beistle for only a single season - 1938. (You can see folded examples on pages 223-224.) These are made from thin, flat stock paper and are quite delicate. I can hardly believe these have survived in such pristine condition! I acquired four complete sets in April of 2015. I kept the best set. Another was sold to close collecting friends, one was sold in my May 2015 auction and the last set was pieced out. In the purchased lot there were also a number of singles in fair to good condition. These came out of Massachusetts. Beistle recycled art from their roly-poly set for these nut cups, adding a different mechanical feature for each. (The true, very dark orange coloration of the set did not come through in this photograph! For some inexplicable reason, they look washed out.) Acquired in May 2015. RSIN: 1

Beistle produced a handful of enveloped products during the later 1920s with a cellophane center. This seems to have been a short-lived experiment. (A stunt game example can be seen on page 17.) This is a complete set of place cards. Printed at the bottom of the envelope is: “6 Place Cards - The Fronts are Movable”. It has a stock number of 657. I have never seen another set of these so am unsure if the distribution of one witch, two ghouls and three owls was standard or if there were variations. (Given the rather primitive specs existing at the time, I suspect there was not a standard set of contents.) Acquired in February 2015. RSIN: 2

Although this isn’t much to look at, the Price List pamphlets Dennison issued annually are a wealth of information. If you are able to piece together an unbroken run, it is easy to discern when Dennison began producing a certain item and when they ceased production. Savvy collectors who are interested in curating their collection snap these up when they infrequently appear on the market. Acquired in June 2015. RSIN: 2

This flapper or Betty Boop diecut was produced in Germany during the 1920s. It is heavily embossed and measures ~9.5” high by 11.25” across. On page 183 you can see similarly sized examples looking both down and to the left. Acquired in June 2015. RSIN: 4

This jumbo diecut was issued by Beistle off and on from 1957 through 1962. All items from this set were over-sized. If you look on page 160, you will see a scarecrow diecut that is another item from the small set. This measures ~14.75” high by 15.75” across. Acquired in November 2014. RSIN: 2

This very large diecut is one of the earliest Beistle produced. It was marketed as a “hanger.” This is one of two designs, the other being a broomed witch atop a JOL. (The JOLs are identical to one another.) They were sold to retailers in packages of two dozen per package. It measures ~15” high by 9” across. It is printed on one side only. These were produced starting in about 1919 and surely weren’t produced for more than a few seasons. Acquired in December 2014. RSIN:1

This jumbo diecut was issued by Beistle off and on from 1957 through 1962. All items from this set were over-sized. If you look on page 160, you will see a scarecrow diecut that is another item from the small set. This measures ~25” high by 10.5” across. Acquired in June 2017. RSIN: 2

You surely have noticed that I identify some Dennison items as being sold singly rather than in enveloped or boxed sets. This is a great example of how such items would have been sold to the end-consumer by a retailer. If you went into your local stationer during the early 1920s looking for this place card of a broomed witch in the clouds by a crescent moon, you would buy as few as one, taking your item from the decorative box shown. These decorative boxes are exceedingly rare and VERY desirable to Dennison collectors. The box measures ~5.25” high by 7” wide by .75” deep and would hold 25 place cards in each well. This box is from 1924. Acquired in February 2014. RSIN: 1

This party sign diecut was produced by Whitney during the 1930s. It is one of a set of four. Two others can be seen on page 163. Two had owls at the top of the sign, two had cats. Except for the signs’ messages, the two of each are identical to one another. The one missing from the collection has cats along the top with the message, “Where Spirits Roam.” The latter sign sold on eBay in October of 2018 for an unsustainable price of $520.10. (I was the exceptionally unhappy underbidder.) The sign measures ~7.75” high by 14.25” across. Acquired in October 2014. RSIN: 1

Dennison issued this rare slide box of six cut-outs in 1923 with a stock number of H-94. They produced a small slide box of twenty seals using the same imagery in the same year. Acquired in October 2014. RSIN: 2

This invitation was produced by an unknown firm during the 1920s, although I feel it may have been Whitney due to the font used. I like the primitive, stiff-looking red sprites and the innovative way the designer used the cloud from the JOL cauldron. It measures ~4.5” high by 3” across. Acquired in August 2014. RSIN: 2

This is a previously unknown hat design issued by Beistle in 1923. The central figure of the JOL with the corn at either side is actually part of the band hat, not a stapled feature. The band hat itself is different than any other design I’ve seen before. I suspect this was a design that wasn’t produced for more than the one season. It measures ~5.75” high by 11.5” across. Acquired in October 2014. RSIN: 1

This 1920s card is roughly similar to the two shown on page 277. The maker is unknown, although it may have been Whitney. I like the simple art and presentation. It measures ~4” high by 3” across, closed. Acquired in October 2014. RSIN: 2

This 1920s card is roughly similar to the two shown on page 277. The maker is unknown, although it may have been Whitney. I like the simple art and presentation. It measures ~4” high by 3” across, closed. Acquired in October 2014. RSIN: 2

This heavily embossed German diecut JOL measures ~9.75” high by 10.25” across. It has a less typical red background to the solid mouth. The lessening of color toward the top is a result of a deliberate decision, also seen in a relative handful of other German diecuts. Acquired in October 2014. RSIN: 2